Coach Calipari:” Three-Pointers Made The Difference”

In the battle of two of the heavyweights of college basketball, the No.8 Kentucky Wildcats (16-3) defeated No.9 Kansas Jayhawks (16-4) 71-63.

With combined 13 NCAA basketball championships at the table last night, Wildcats vs Jayhawks clash was in the center of the basketball world.

Two great programmes who pretty much changed the course of basketball history with their products and philosophies, took on one another at the overcrowded Rupp Arena. Eventually, the hosts used that atmosphere and beat the big opponent, despite being behind slightly at the halftime, 33-30.

The guy who propelled the Wildcats in the second half was PJ Washington, scoring 14 points during that part of the game. He ended the night with 20 buckets and 13 rebounds, controlling the paint and the glass very well.

PJ Washington Jr Dunks on Kansas!!#BBN #UKvsKU #Kentucky #Wildcats pic.twitter.com/ZXngIWT68H

— Wildcat Dunks (@WildcatDunks) January 27, 2019

Coach Bill Self mentioned that as one of the biggest factors why his team didn’t win last night.

“We competed pretty good, we just didn’t get to the free throw line so much because they controlled the glass, and that was the difference in the game.” Self stated at the press conference.

Kansas had only 11 free throw attempts in this one, while hosts had twice as much, 23.

Washington had a huge help in Reid Travis who also posted a double-double with 18 points and 12 boards, seven of them on the offensive side of the court. With these two dominating the inner lane, Wildcats had a huge advantage over their rival.

There is one more thing which made the difference in the second half – the three-point shooting. Kentucky couldn’t hit a single downtown shot during the first half, while in the latter one, they had four.

Coach Calipari mentioned that at the press conference, saying that if weren’t for those baskets, his team would probably lose this tight contest.

“That was the difference in the game,” coach John Calipari said. “If we go 0 for 10 in the second half, we lose the game. This is a good 3-point shooting team. That’s why I get bothered at times.”

It was Keldon Johnson who changed that with three strikes behind the arc. The 6-6 freshman was the vital factor in the offense, and his shoots from deep were stretching the Jayhawks’ defense, making it easier for Washington and Travis to dominate inside.

“I knew my teammates would give me the right shots,” said Johnson. “I’ve worked very hard on my game, and I had confidence to come out and hit the big shots when I needed to.”

He was the third guy in the home team with a double-double- 15 buckets, and 10 rebounds.

On the other side, Dedric Lawson was left alone to fight with the home team’s big players. He had the edge until the halftime but ran out of fuel in the second part of the game. Still, his contribution today was fantastic delivering 20 points and 15 board, Against a physical team like Kentucky that is huge.

https://twitter.com/VersaceBoyEnt2/status/1089311149890437126

“We wanted to win, but it’s not the end of the world,” Lawson said. “They went to the glass pretty hard, but our guys competed.”

Quentin Grimes scored 13 points and Lagerald Vick 10 with 6 boards.

Jayhawks were outrebounded in the end 49-36.

After three straight losses against Kansas, Wildcats finally won. This is their sixth triumph in a row, with the note that the most recent three are all against the rivals from the Top 25, No.22 Mississippi State, No.14 Auburn and now Kansas.

It seems that Kentucky might improve its place in the AP poll after such a good run.

Meanwhile, this is the second loss in the previous three games for the Jayhawks. After being stunned against West Virginia, this needs to be considered as a wake-up call for them. Otherwise, Kansas will fall out from Top 10.

They will have a chance for a bounce-back already this Tuesday, against Texas Longhorns on the road. It will be their second match, and the first went in favor of the Jayhawks, 80-78.

Kentucky faces Vanderbilt also on the road, the same day. They beat them already this season, 56-47.